


The Human Soul (White, Red, Gold)

by RoSH (RoSH95)



Category: Dororo (Anime 2019)
Genre: Debatable Character Death, Discussions of gender, Families of Choice, Fantasy, Found Family, I like to take cannon and throw it out the window, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Original Character-centric, Original Characters fuck up the storyline, Sibling Relationship, Trans Male Character, Very AU, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-03-29 08:52:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19016554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoSH95/pseuds/RoSH
Summary: The human soul is a fickle and malleable thing, changing with only the slightest interference from demons. The great yokai, Jigoku tayū, has been searching for a way back to the human world since she died and became a demon. When a deal paid with human flesh practically falls into her lap, she jumps at the chance.Kagami Kaname is prepared to pay with their life to keep their people safe from the brewing war. In comparison, the price they pay seems trivial. It sets them on a journey to relearn the world they live in, while struggling to adapt to being blind and mute. When they stumble across two brothers, fighting to reclaim the elder's body, the last thing Kaname expects is to find a family.





	The Human Soul (White, Red, Gold)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's the first chapter of what will probably be a very long fic. *cries* I have so many unfinished fics and yet here I am... starting a new one.
> 
> So, as you have probably noticed in the tags, this fic is very OC centric. Hyakkimaru and Dororo are heavy players, but the story will be lead by an OC. So if that tickles you the wrong way, run now yeah?
> 
> There are three main OC's in the story: Kagami Kaname - the protagonist, (Kagami) Ayame - Kaname's retainer and childhood friend, and Jigoku tayū - a yokai who is not really an OC but since she does not exist in the Dororo cannon, I am claiming her as an OC.
> 
> This story started from the idea that people who make selfish deals with demons/yokai (and, as a result, everyone closely related to the deal), end up with red in their souls depending on their acts of evil. For example, Hyakkimaru has been killing other humans lately and wallowing in hate and anger. In episode 20 we saw that his soul has a big red splotch in it. I wondered what color the soul would take on if someone were to make a selfless deal with a demon/yokai and pay with their own body rather than offering up someone elses. And that's how this story started.
> 
> I'll let you get to it now. ENJOY!

Jigoku _tay_ ū has never had a human seek her out within her own realm before. Since she became one of the legendary yokai, the only ones to visit her are other yokai, looking to gain her favor. But the person before her is decidedly human, their soul-fire glowing bright, clean white.

Studying them further, Jigoku determines that they are quite young—perhaps fifteen at the oldest—far too young to be visiting a hell brothel. They have long, black hair pulled up into a ponytail, and wear a red _kosode_ , patterned with gold phoenixes. They have molten gold eyes that flicker like fire in the dim lighting of Jigoku’s brothel.

She takes a pull of her pipe, holding the smoke in her lungs before exhaling. “Why have you come?” she asks the child, her voice rasping in the back of her throat.

“I want to make a deal,” they say, eyes flashing and their tone brooking no argument. Their high, melodic voice pegs them as a female, but their appearance, stance, and choice of words[1] beg to differ.

“What kind of a deal?”

She expects something petty. Perhaps revenge on a human that wronged them, or for their beloved to return their affections. All easy tasks for Jigoku, but very boring.

“War is coming,” they begin, “and I want to keep my people safe and away from battles that will interfere with their every day lives. I want my lands and people protected from misfortune, and I am prepared to pay whatever price you ask of me in exchange for this.”

That was _not_ what Jigoku was expecting. A powerful, selfless wish such as this requires a steep price, yet the human comes to her saying they are willing to pay it, whatever the price. And Jigoku suspects they know that the price will be human flesh, and will happily offer up their own.

“That is a heavy wish,” Jigoku says, breathing out more smoke. “Are you sure you are prepared to pay the price?”

The human inclines their head respectfully and says, “I have nothing to pay with but my own body, though I know the power that human flesh grants yokai, ask what you will of me, and it is yours.”

“You are a strange human,” Jigoku says. “What is your name?”

“Kagami Kaname.” _Light_ and _golden-eyes_ , then.

“You are willing to pay anything?”

“Whatever you wish from my body.” They are no fool, making sure to speak with clear language that leaves no openings for loopholes. Another yokai would be more interested in speaking in riddles to confuse the human into leaving a loophole for them to exploit, but Jigoku has simpler goals, and no interest in exploiting this human.

“Even your voice, untainted by smoke, ash, and fire, and your golden eyes?” Jigoku asks.

“Do we have a deal, then?” Kaname responds.

Jigoku smirks and inclines her head. “In exchange for your voice and eyes, I will make sure that your people and lands are untouched by misfortune and war.”

“I accept your price.”

“I accept your payment.”

With a flash of supernatural lightning striking the human, swiftly followed by a _crack_ of thunder, the deal is struck. Jigoku inspects her reflection in the stone basin filled with water by her side, admiring the golden eyes. She hums, and is pleased to hear the human’s melodic voice instead of her own deep rasp.

With the power human flesh grants her, Jigoku waves her hand and opens the bridge between her realm and the human one. She hopes Ikkyū will remember her.

~

Even though Kaname expects it, the _crack_ of thunder and purple flash of light, accompanied by blinding pain in their eyes and throat, takes them by surprise. The pain is so intense, they black out.

When they come to, Kaname is back in their home, in their bedroom where they went into deep meditation to reach the yokai, Jigoku _tay_ ū. They try to open their eyes and can feel their eyelids moving and blinking, but their world remains dark and black. Thick wetness drips down their cheeks, and they think its tears for a moment, but when they wipe it away with the back of their hand and bring it to their nose, the sharp tang of iron is all too noticeable.

The deal has been made, and Kaname is without eyes and voice. A small price to pay, all things considered.

“Lady Kaname!” a voice cries out, accompanied by a rush of footsteps and the _shōji_ door sliding open with a _slam_.

‘ _I thought I told you not to call me that_ ,’ Kaname says. Or… tries to say.

All that comes out is a wheeze of air.

“Lady Kaname, are you alright?” the voice of Kaname’s retainer and childhood friend, Ayame, says, very close to Kaname’s ear. She puts a hand on Kaname’s shoulder and inhales sharply at the sight of the blood on Kaname’s face. “You’re bleeding!”

Kaname shakes their head and reaches for Ayame. Their friend clasps their hand between both of hers and squeezes tight. With their friend located, Kaname reaches out with their other hand to trace characters slowly but surely on the back of Ayame’s hand.

_:Made deal. Paid with voice and eyes. Can’t speak. Am alright:_

“Kaname, you…” Ayame’s voice trembles. “You can’t speak?”

Kaname nods.

They can hear Ayame swallow, before she asks, “What kind of a deal did you make?”

 _:In exchange for voice and eyes, yokai Jigoku tay_ ū _will protect this land and people from war and misfortune:_ Kaname writes, tensing the muscles in their forearm to prevent their hand from shaking and making the characters illegible.

Ayame sniffles. “Why do you martyr yourself like this?” she asks. “Why must you bear the burden of our land all by yourself? Why can’t you rely on me sometimes?!”

 _:Papa left me in charge:_ Kaname replies, heart aching at the pain in Ayame’s words. _:My job to take care of home. My job to save people. Won’t let anyone pay price for my wish:_

“You’re a self-sacrificing idiot,” Ayame tells them, chuckling weakly and without amusement.

 _:Yes:_ Kaname agrees, lifting their head to smile at their friend.

~

“What will you tell the villagers?” Ayame asks, once Kaname has been cleaned and bandages have been wrapped over their eyes. “They’ll have to be told something, it won’t escape notice that you’ve lost your eyes and voice.”

 _:The truth:_ Kaname writes into Ayame’s palm. _:Deserve to know:_

“They’ll be sad that you sacrificed yourself for them… _again_ ,” Ayame says. “You Kagamis are all a bunch of self-sacrificing, martyring idiots.”

Kaname snorts in amusement at Ayame’s dry humor.

_:They’ll be safe. That’s what matters:_

“How will you get around, and lead the village without your eyes and voice, though?” Ayame asks hesitantly, and Kaname gets the feeling this is what she had been wanting to ask the most.

Kaname swallows nervously, because this is the part that Ayame will like the least.

 _:Won’t:_ they write. _:Leaving village. You’ll be in charge:_

“You… you can’t _leave_!” Ayame cries. “I’m not a Kagami, you can’t put me in charge of the village!”

 _:Marry me:_ Kaname says. _:Be Kagami then. Take care of our home. While I’m gone:_

“Don’t joke about that,” Ayame says, her voice choked. “You can’t ask me to marry you when you don’t mean it.”

 _:I mean it:_ Kaname writes, slow and exaggerated. _:Have to leave. Learn to live like this. Without being coddled:_

Ayame sobs, and Kaname pulls her into their arms, trying to comfort her. It just makes Ayame cry harder, and Kaname doesn’t know what else to do.

“Will you come back?” Ayame whispers, her voice muffled into Kaname’s shoulder. “If you do this, you have to promise you’ll come back.”

Kaname presses their lips to Ayame’s temple and takes her hand to write, _:Always:_

Ayame presses her face more firmly into Kaname’s shoulder for a brief moment, then pulls away.

“Alright,” she says, inserting false cheer into her voice. “I’ll believe in you. Like I always have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Kaname uses 'ore,' the more masculine form of 'I.'
> 
> Comments are the lifeblood of authors, so if you enjoyed this and want to see more, PLEASE leave a comment!
> 
> I don't know when I'll be able to update this story. The first chapter was super easy to write but I haven't written anything since and I don't want it to sit in my drafts and get deleted if I can't get back to it before time's up, so I'm just gonna post it now and hope for the best ^^; I'm starting a summer writing class in a couple weeks, so I have no idea if that will increase or decrease my writing productivity yet. Probably decrease since I'll be working on a single story instead of several short ones. Anyways. Thanks for reading and supporting!


End file.
